Four still missing after Mt. Qomolangma avalanche kills at least 12

Mother of Nepali guide Kaji Sherpa who died in an avalanche on Mount Qomolangma waits for the body of his son to arrive at Sherpa Monastry for funeral procession in Kathmandu, Nepal, April 19, 2014. Four are still missing after at least 12 Nepalese have suffered untimely death after being swept away by avalanche in world's tallest mountainous region of Nepal, government staffs said Saturday. An avalanche hit Khubuche area near Camp 1 of Mount Qomolangma, also known as Everest, at around 5:30 a.m. local time. (Xinhua/Sunil Sharma)

KATHMANDU, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Four are still missing after at least 12 Nepalese have suffered untimely death after being swept away by avalanche in world's tallest mountainous region of Nepal, government staffs said Saturday.

An avalanche hit Khubuche area near Camp 1 of Mount Qomolangma, also known as Everest, at around 5:30 a.m. local time. All deceased are local Sherpa guides who were making technical preparations for climbing season beginning next week when the avalanche hit them.

Eight bodies of the total 12 deceased Nepalese who had their families in Solukhumbu region have been handed over to their families Saturday morning, while other four bodies have been brought to Kathmandu for autopsy, Madhusudan Burlakoti, a joint secretary at Nepal's Tourism Ministry updated Xinhua by phone.

Burlakoti also said a rescue operation has already been resumed.

According to Sagarmatha Pollution Control Committee (SPCC), two of the injured in the accident have been airlifted to the capital Kathmandu for further treatment while other injured are undergoing treatment in a local hospital at Lukla, an adjoining district to the gateway to the mountain.

According to the SPCC, the deceased and injured had been to the expedition through different trekking agencies.